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TRUE or FALSE?.......Part 4
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- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 28th 2008
Timmer wrote
Martijn wrote
Timmer wrote
2) True! The dodgiest situation I've ever been in, not much alternative but to jump. It was 16,000 ft up in Nepal....not easy jumping at that altitude. Anyway long(ish) story which I'll tell if anyone insists.
I insist.
Honestly, I'd be interested in what happened there!
September 7th 1996
Me and my good hiking buddy Richard had already been in Nepal for 3 weeks of a two Month stay and it was our 13th day of hiking to Mt Everest bass camp, we'd spent the previous week in a small town called Gokyo exploring various glaciers and lakes, acclimatising to the altitude and enjoying the evening hospitality of the Sherpa people.
We had purposely gone off route to explore the Gokyo region but now we wanted to get back on track and head for Everset bass camp which either meant a seven day trek around the Gokyo valley using the established and safe Sherpa trails or taking a "short cut" straight through a mountain range over the glacier and a high mountain pass which is used by Shepa's in the Summer Month's, which would shorten the journey to just three days. Great idea we thought? "let's do it!"
We spent Thursday the 6th of September going around the village looking for a guide to hire, this was not something to be taken lightly and we needed someone who knew the way, we eventually found a really nice gentleman named Chungba who had done this old trading route 4 times in his life, so after bargaining him down to a one day charge of £15* ( I don't remember the Nepali Rupee conversion? ) we were ready to go the following morning.
So there we are packed and ready to go at 6.00 A.M. on Friday 7th September and by torchlight we make our way for two hours down a track we'd previously walked up a week before, the sun begins to rise and it's a beautiful cold morning with bright blue skies and gigantic snow capped peaks and it's not long before our guide leads us off trail to begin the tough trek over the glacier and up over the 4,420 meter Chong-La pass and down to another hamlet called Dzongla where we'll once again be able to stride out without guides.
Walking over a glacier is an eerie thing, Strewn with huge boulders and rubble, gravel and even parts that look like miniature sandy beaches it's like trying to find your way out of a maze and because it's a continually moving and changing scenery our guide did have a few worrying moments where he wasn't sure of the way? Not much fun when you're slam bang in the middle of it and the only sound is the creepy groaning and creaking of ice., Anyway, after a couple of knee straining hours we finally navigated ourselves to safety on good solid unmoving earth.
From here it was just up, up and more up followed by even more up with false horizon after false horizon until we finally came to a steep hill that soon became apparent that we'd have been better equipped with things we didn't have such as crampons, rope and ice axes, we were already in a precarious possition where going back down isn't an option **, where ledges have small pockets of ice. We keep our composure and finally make it to the top of the Chong-La pass....a huge field of snow cradled between two peaks dangerously covered in thick snow, this is avalanch central***.
So, we start out over the snow field, I can't tell what the width is? maybe anything from 200 to 500 meters?? What's worrying is all the snow drifts that keep trinkling down the mountainsides but even more worrying is Chungba saying "not good, keep moving", and that's not easy when you are breathing only 50% oxygen and are hip deep in snow! We press on and after an hour there still seems to be no end in sight for this friggin snow field when we notice a big black line running the entire width...a crevasse.
Now, although this "crack" in the snow only seems to be a meter wide, the indication of the slope of the snow bending into it from either side suggests that it's a lot wider so we all stand there staring at each other in a windless silence that you can only get in the most remote of regions, all I can hear is that infernal trickling snow and my own rapid heart beat.
At best we have only an hour of daylight left so do we JUMP or turn back the way we came? There was no choice, the ice hill we came up is too steep and it would be dark by the time our shattered legs could carry us back through the snow to that point and also, by now we were getting very VERY cold. "you know this region so you know how wide the crack is, so you jump first" Rich says to our guide, our guide shakes his head in the negative, me and Rich look at this point a little alarmingly at each other. "you jump first and I'll follow" I say to Rich, Rich shakes his head in the negative, "you" Rich nods to me, "no fucking way" I say**** and with that I fling my rucksack with all my might over the crevasse and leap like I've never leaped before tumbling over a few times as I land. I stand up carefully and test the ground tentatively, my heart rate lessons and Rich follows with Chungba last
And thus ends one of the scariest moments of my life, it still played on our minds that that might not be the last crevasse but fortunately there were no more, two hours later we were safely in Dzongla drinking hot lemon tea feeling totally exhausted, I don't think before or since I've ever been that exhausted, mentaly or physically, with legs so tired they wouldn't stop shaking, I couldn't even sleep properly because my eyelids wouldn't stop fluttering such was the nervous energy.
A fantastic time a nothing on that trip was quite as adrenaline packed. Hope you enjoyed it.
* £15 was an extortionate amount in Nepali terms but we were trekking out of season, in fact I met 2 New Zealander's, 1 welshman, 3 Americans, 1 Frenchman and 2 Israeli's precisely, all of which became close friends for the short time we knew them
** What looks steep going up looks like a vertical wall going down
*** 19 people lost they're lives in an avalanche crossing the Chong-La pass some years before Rich and I crossed. A group of Japanese and they're Sherpas
**** A very shortened version of the conversation which at times got heated and wasted 20 minutes of daylight.
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 28th 2008
OH MY GOD TIMMER.
I was reading with my mouth open.
What a story!
You're sick!
How how!
That moment where you only heard your heart beating, must've been ... fantastic!?
In the most remote of the remotest. Wow.
You're soooo gonna tell more of these.Kazoo -
- CommentTimeMay 28th 2008
Blah....BOOOORING. Sounds like any other Thursday in my life.
Seriously, that was a literal cliffhanger of a story, Timmer, and another proof that you're WAY too cool for this crowd. Even if you died tomorrow (God forbid, knock on wood and all that), you've still lived your life to the fullest!
Thanks for sharing!I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeMay 28th 2008
Thor wrote
Timmer, and another proof that you're WAY too cool for this crowd.
Thanks. -
- CommentTimeMay 28th 2008
Fantastic story, Tim.
I'm glad I asked.'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Thanks for the comments everyone, much appreciated.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Bregt wrote
OH MY GOD TIMMER.
I was reading with my mouth open.
What a story!
You're sick!
How how!
That moment where you only heard your heart beating, must've been ... fantastic!?
In the most remote of the remotest. Wow.
You're soooo gonna tell more of these.
Not quite the "remoteof the remotest", people actually live up high in Nepal, unlike Antarctica.....now that's remote!On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Thor wrote
Blah....BOOOORING. Sounds like any other Thursday in my life.
Seriously, that was a literal cliffhanger of a story, Timmer, and another proof that you're WAY too cool for this crowd. Even if you died tomorrow (God forbid, knock on wood and all that), you've still lived your life to the fullest!
Thanks for sharing!
Not "cool" Thor, just a bit of a risk taker
Everyone here is cool IMO!On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
Steven wrote
Thor wrote
Timmer, and another proof that you're WAY too cool for this crowd.
Thanks.
Yer welcome!
notice how I managed to avoid saying "your" or "you're"
EDIT : mis-read this first time.
Bit of a back handed compliment there Thor.
Not even The Fonz is too cool for this board.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Martijn wrote
Fantastic story, Tim.
I'm glad I asked.
Thanks Martijn
Writing that really took me back there!
I' have a new Dinosaur True / False coming up...just need to get my facts / mis-facts straightOn Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Great story Timmer!
Unbelievable. I cannot imagine the fear you must have felt, being trapped like that.
Also, when you're walking through the snow like that in those areas, isn't it possible there's a crevasse completely covered by snow?? Man, that's scary...
I do not know very much about it, but I've seen Bear Grylls:
http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/video … 1400494510
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- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Hehe, fun. There's a Born Surviver game on the website, to see if you'd make the right decisions.
I just died. In Africa. Killed by an elephant. Oh well... -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Played the game and died by starvation. Fast. I´m a looser at survival skills. -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
I made it through the jungle and the ice planes in one go!
I have Survivor written all over me! I'm the bravest man that ever lived (behind a computer screen )'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Not long enough if you don´t stop boasting. -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
You DARE challenge the SURVIVOR, puny mortal?'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
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- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
OHNOES!
I iz thwarted!
'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
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- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
Bregje wrote
Great story Timmer!
Unbelievable. I cannot imagine the fear you must have felt, being trapped like that.
Also, when you're walking through the snow like that in those areas, isn't it possible there's a crevasse completely covered by snow?? Man, that's scary...
I do not know very much about it, but I've seen Bear Grylls:
http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/video … 1400494510
"A crevasse completely covered by snow"? Never come across it......*shudder*
My story was extremely tame compared to Touching The Void, a brilliant drama / documentary that's well worth watching if you've never seen it.
As for Bear Grylls he's a cheat
Ray Mears is THE man!On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
YEEAAAAYYYYYY!!! Even in the virtual world I'm excellent and completed both!
......but only on my second try......LionsOn Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
Note :
Would anyone else like to do a '5 things about themselves'?
Could be 4 false 1 true, or 4 true 1 false like I did?
Would be fun and gives me time to find a Dino article that I can't, at this moment find!?On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
Timmer wrote
YEEAAAAYYYYYY!!! Even in the virtual world I'm excellent and completed both!
......but only on my second try......Lions
Yeah man, them lions is TRICKY!'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Martijn wrote
Timmer wrote
YEEAAAAYYYYYY!!! Even in the virtual world I'm excellent and completed both!
......but only on my second try......Lions
Yeah man, them lions is TRICKY!
ROTFLMFHO
Brilliant!On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Indeed, the 'what's true and false about me' thingy by Timmer was VERY, VERY interesting, especially when followed by that story at the end, telling us what happened! Who's gonna do the next one?Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders. -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Like I said before, man, I couldn't come up with anything a tenth that interesting, or even amusing!
I'll sit this one out.'no passion nor excitement here, despite all the notes and musicians' ~ Falkirkbairn -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
Martijn wrote
Like I said before, man, I couldn't come up with anything a tenth that interesting, or even amusing!
I'll sit this one out.Martijn wrote
Like I said before, man, I couldn't come up with anything a tenth that interesting, or even amusing!
I'll sit this one out.
Awwwww!
The only really interesting one there was the 'crevasse'.
Getting shot with a gun?....I just didn't say what kind of gun!?
And as I said earlier, I wish now I hadn't mentioned the 'dog eating' thingy I should have replaced that one with the time I was held captive by Venusian mind warp people in Los Angeles
C'mon, someone can think of one....doesn't have to be exotic and no ones judging.On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008 edited
I have some rather small stories to tell, if you want to accept them... four are true, one is wrong.
1. My family was once falsely charged by the Ministry of Taxation for tax evading of several million Euro.
2. When I was in London to see a Goldsmith concert, we visited the British Museum. While looking at the Stone of Rosetta, which was on exhibition during that time, we talked about how important that stone was and got a nice comment of a gentleman beside us. It took me actually five seconds to notice that it had been Jerry, and he was gone before I found my courage to talk to him.
3. I was once part of a choir which sang in front of Pope Johannes Paul II while he did a service in Rome.
4. Together with my pregnant and newly wed wife, I once took a rented car to drive us into a godforsaken scottish valley where we were absolutely alone, there was no human soul for twenty miles or so, when we reached the end of the valley, and I said, "think about it, we´re all alone here", and the engine chose exactly that moment to die. It was a time before there were cell phones, and the moment we left the car to see what was wrong, it started to rain.
5. On our wedding day, we forgot to take our rings, but were lucky because my wife wore two other rings, one on each hand, and we share the same ring size.
Have fun guessing... -
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Excellent Ralph
Just one thing, could you put each question separately into 1), 2), 3) etc to make it easier to choose?
I'll make my guess after studying them a bit more!On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt -
- CommentTimeMay 29th 2008
Thanks and done.